Everyday, I am becoming more familiar, comfortable, and confident in the classroom and my abilities to effectively teach students about agriculture. But what about all the extra "stuff" that Ag teachers do behind the scenes. I’m not talking about conferences, CDEs/LDEs, or SAE visits. I’m talking about the extra professional development that we do to remain relevant and up-to-date in the classroom. Specifically, the professional organization that many Pennsylvania Ag teachers can get involved in, the Pennsylvania Association of Agricultural Educators. This is an organization that provides teachers support, workshops, and career advancement.
As student-teachers, we accompany our cooperating teachers to the regional PAAE meeting to experience what it is like to be a part of the professional organization. At this meeting, we were greeted by a wonderful meal and even greater fellowship with other agriculture teachers in the eastern region at Oley Valley High School. It was great to talk with new and beginning teachers, as well as veteran teachers.
We were filled in on new changes to the PA FFA, new programs spearheaded by the PA FFA Foundation, and current news in Harrisburg related the Ag education legislation.
It was also particularly nice to see some other student-teachers as we had not seen each other in a while.
What I think is so important as Ag educators is that we never stop learning, advancing our careers, or being a part of promoting Ag education in Harrisburg, D.C., and other platforms. The workshops, conferences, and meetings put on by PAAE are a way for Ag programs to stay relevant and up-to-date in the agriculture industry. We would do our students a disservice by not continuing to grow, just as we try to foster in them. Thus, being a part of PAAE is so important to me in the future so that I can continue to learn, grow, and give back when possible.
